Challenge of the Super Friends - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Challenge of the Super Friends is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

animated television series about a team of superhero

Superhero

A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

es which ran from September 9, 1978, to December 23, 1978, on ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

. The complete series (16 episodes) was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Warner Bros. Television

Warner Bros. Television

Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...

and is based on the Justice League

Justice League

The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....

and associated comic book

Comic book

A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

characters published by DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

. It was the third series of Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...

cartoons, following the original Super Friends

Super Friends (1973 TV series)

Super Friends is a 1973 animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera and National Periodical Publications. It is based on the Justice League comic books, and is the first incarnation of the Super Friends series to the remake of Super Friends: The Motion Picture, written, produced and directed by M...

in 1973 and The All-New Super Friends Hour
The All-New Super Friends Hour
The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC...

in 1977. It continues to air on Boomerang

Boomerang (TV channel)

Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...

in the United States, with the four remakes of Challenge of the Super Friends: The Motion Picture, written and directed by Marc Lawrence

Marc Lawrence

Marc Lawrence was an American character actor who specialized in underworld types. He has also been credited as F. A. Foss, Marc Laurence and Marc C...

, in 2021, Challenge of the Super Friends 2: First Contact, directed by Brad Bird

Brad Bird

Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...

, in 2022, Challenge of the Super Friends 3: The Hero's Apprentice, directed by John McTiernan

John McTiernan

John Campbell McTiernan, Jr. is an American film director and producer, best known for his action films and most identifiable with the three films he directed back-to-back: Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt for Red October, along with later movies such as Last Action Hero, Die Hard with a...

, in 2023 and Challenge of the Super Friends 4: The Last Battle, directed by Tony Scott

Tony Scott

Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...

, in 2024.

First segment

The plots for this series were, at the time of its initial airing, arguably the best effort to portray comic book heroes in animated television shorts. As originally aired, this season consisted of two half-hour segments. The first of these was an adventure with Superman

Superman

Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

, Batman

Batman

Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...

and Robin, Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....

, Aquaman

Aquaman

Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...

, and the Wonder Twins

Wonder Twins

The Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna, are fictional extraterrestrial comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Their first comic book appearance was in Super Friends #7 , by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon...

, similar to those that had aired the previous season in The All-New Super Friends Hour
The All-New Super Friends Hour
The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC...

. Thanks to these episodes being shown using the opening credits of the All-New Super Friends Hour in syndication, the second segment along being used with the Challenge of Super Friends opening, and confused references to the show it is often mistakenly believed that the first and second segments were two separate shows.

Second segment

The second segment of this season featured the Legion of Doom

Legion of Doom (comics)

The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains led by Lex Luthor that appeared in Challenge of the Super Friends, an ABC animated series that starred superheroes from DC Comics.-History:...

, a team of thirteen recurring foes, the Super Friends' worst enemies. Every episode would feature battles between the thirteen supervillains of the Legion of Doom and the eleven superheroes of the Justice League of America. The Legion of Doom dwelled in a murky swamp and launched their attacks for global conquest from a sinister looking, swamp-based, mechanical, flying headquarters, called the Hall of Doom (which also resembled Darth Vader

Darth Vader

Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....

's helmet) as a suitable contrast with the Super Friends' gleaming Hall of Justice

Hall of Justice (comics)

The Hall of Justice is the fictional headquarters of the Super Friends, in the eponymous animated series. It has subsequently been incorporated into the DC Comics main shared universe, the DC Universe as the new headquarters of the Justice League....

Early development

When the Challenge of the Super Friends season was originally conceived, it was named “Battle of the Superheroes” and featured the introduction of Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel (DC Comics)

Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...

to the Super Friends. The group that challenged the heroes was called the "League of Evil", led by Marvel's nemesis Doctor Sivana

Doctor Sivana

Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...

. However, Filmation

Filmation

Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...

produced Shazam!

Shazam! (TV series)

Shazam! is a half-hour live-action television program produced by Filmation , based upon DC Comics' superhero Captain Marvel....

and The New Adventures of Batman

The New Adventures of Batman

The New Adventures of Batman is an animated series produced by Filmation in 1977 featuring the DC Comics superheroes Batman and Robin, and Batgirl. The current distributor is Warner Bros. Television due to parent company Warner Bros's ownership of DC Comics, which publishes the Batman titles...

which prevented the use of characters such as Mister Atom

Mister Atom

Mister Atom is a fictional comic book supervillain, a radioactive robot who is regularly seen as an enemy of Captain Marvel. He first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #78 in November 1947.- Golden Age and pre-Crisis version :...

, King Kull

King Kull (DC Comics)

King Kull is a comic book supervillain originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics and appearing as a foe of Captain Marvel. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist C. C. Beck, Kull's first appearance was in Captain Marvel Adventures #125...

, Beautia Sivana, Joker

Joker (comics)

The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...

, Penguin

Penguin (comics)

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...

, Mr. Freeze

Mr. Freeze

Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....

, and Catwoman

Catwoman

Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...

. Early conceptual art drawn by Alex Toth

Alex Toth

Alexander Toth was an American professional cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but is known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His work included Super Friends, Space Ghost, The...

would also include Heat Wave

Heat Wave (comics)

Heat Wave is a fictional villain in the DC Universe and a primary foe of the Flash.-Fictional character biography:Born on a farm outside Central City, Mick Rory became fascinated with fire, as a child. This fascination turned into an obsession and one night, he set his family's home ablaze...

, Poison Ivy, and Abra Kadabra

Abra Kadabra (comics)

Abra Kadabra is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe and an enemy of the Flash. He first appeared in Flash #128 and was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.-Fictional character biography:...

Narration, music and character designs

Bill Woodson

William "Bill" T. Woodson is a retired American voice artist. He has a small onscreen appearance in the 1950s sci-fi film "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" as a newscaster. He can be heard in the opening narrative of the 1970s television series The Odd Couple, explaining how it is that Felix and...

provides the uncredited voice of the narrator in Challenge of the Super Friends. The show's main theme and original music was composed and arranged by musical director Hoyt Curtin

Hoyt Curtin

Hoyt Stoddard Curtin was an American composer and music producer, the primary musical director for the Hanna-Barbera animation studio from its beginnings with The Ruff & Reddy Show in 1957 until his retirement in 1986, except from 1963-1973, when the primary music director was Ted Nichols...

. The music supervisor was Paul DeKorte. Character designs for this particular Super Friends series were done by Andre LeBlanc.

Team composition experimentation

Hanna-Barbera's writers experimented with team composition as well. Challenge of the Super Friends added The Flash

Flash (comics)

The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....

(Barry Allen), Green Lantern

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...

(Hal Jordan

Hal Jordan

Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...

), and Hawkman

Hawkman

Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....

(Katar Hol) who were members of the Justice League of America, as well as several new characters: Black Vulcan

Black Vulcan

Black Vulcan is a fictional African American superhero on the animated series Super Friends created by Hanna-Barbera. He was voiced by Buster Jones.-Fictional character biography:...

(who was based on the DC Comics character Black Lightning

Black Lightning

Black Lightning was one of the first major African American superheroes to appear in DC Comics. He debuted in Black Lightning #1 , and was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden.- Publication history :...

), Apache Chief

Apache Chief

Apache Chief is a fictional Native American superhero from the various Super Friends cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera. He was one of the new heroes added to increase the number of non-white characters in the Super Friends ranks...

, and Samurai

Samurai (Super Friends)

Samurai is a fictional superhero in the Super Friends cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera. His real name is Toshio Eto, and he is of Japanese descent. He was one of the later additions to the team along with other ethnically diverse heroes in an effort for the show to promote cultural diversity. His...

. These characters were created to add racial and cultural diversity

Cultural diversity

Cultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences. It could also mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole...

to the show (this was also mentioned in some of the episode introduction extras on the first two Challenge of the Super Friends DVDs).

Super Friends/Justice League of America

Eleven heroes make up the Super Friends/Justice League of America. They are:

Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
Robin
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
The Flash

Green Lantern

Hal Jordan

Hawkman

Black Vulcan

Black Vulcan is a fictional African American superhero on the animated series Super Friends created by Hanna-Barbera. He was voiced by Buster Jones.-Fictional character biography:...

Apache Chief

Samurai

Samurai (Super Friends)

Legion of Doom

Thirteen villains comprise the Legion of Doom during the Challenge of the Super Friends season. They are:

Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...
Sinestro
Sinestro
Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
Black Manta
Black Manta
Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as the archenemy of Aquaman. The character debuted in Aquaman #35 .-Fictional character biography:...
Cheetah
Giganta
Giganta
Giganta is a fictional character, a red-haired super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. A longtime enemy of Wonder Woman and an occasional foil for The Atom, Giganta possesses the superhuman ability to increase her physical size and mass, effectively transforming into...
The Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...

Toyman

The Riddler

Riddler

The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....

Bizarro

Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...

Brainiac

Brainiac (comics)

Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....

Captain Cold

Captain Cold, real name Leonard Snart, is a comic book villain created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino as one of the archenemies of Flash. He is a leader of the Rogues...

Gorilla Grodd

Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....

Despite the claim in the program's title sequence

Title sequence

A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...

that the Legion's members hail from "remote galaxies", only Brainiac and Sinestro are extraterrestrials

Extraterrestrial life

Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...

; the remaining members are all natives of Earth (though Bizarro is an imperfect duplicate of the Kryptonian

Kryptonian

Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...

Superman, he was created on Earth).

A curious issue is why there are only 11 members of the Super Friends vs. 13 members for the Legion of Doom (this item is never explained by the introduction scenes produced for the first 8 episodes of Challenge of the Superfriends released on 2 separate DVD's).

Voices

Jack Angel
Jack Angel
Jack Angel is an American voice actor, who has worked on many children's television series, movies and video games.-Life and career:Angel was born in Modesto, California...

.... The Flash, Hawkman, Samurai
Marlene Aragon .... The Cheetah
Lewis Bailey ....
Michael Bell .... Riddler, Fearian
Bill Callaway .... Aquaman, Bizarro
Ted Cassidy
Ted Cassidy
Theodore Crawford Cassidy , known as Ted Cassidy, was an American actor who performed in television and films. At 6 ft 9 in in height, he tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction series such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie...

.... Brainiac, Black Manta
Melanie Chartoff
Melanie Chartoff
Melanie Chartoff is an American actress. Among her most prominent roles are her voice role in Rugrats, her comedic work on the ABC series Fridays from 1980–1982, and on the early 1990s Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose....

....
Henry Corden
Henry Corden
Henry Corden was a Canadian-born American actor and voice artist best-known for taking over the role of Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed died in 1977. His official debut as Fred's new voice was on the 1977 syndicated weekday series Fred Flintstone and Friends for which he provided voice-overs on...

.... Dr Varga {"Invasion of the Brain Creatures"}, Torahna {in "The World Beneath the Ice"}
Danny Dark
Danny Dark
Danny Dark was widely acknowledged in the commercial industry as the voice-over king. For nearly four decades, he embedded pop culture with memorable lines in advertisements for Budweiser , Raid Ant & Roach Killer and StarKist Tuna...

.... Superman, Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
Al Fann ....
Shannon Farnon
Shannon Farnon
Shannon Farnon is an American actress and voice actress. She is best known as being the first actress to voice Wonder Woman in a Hanna-Barbera production....

.... Wonder Woman
Ruth Forman .... Giganta
Bob Hastings
Bob Hastings
Robert "Bob" Hastings is an American film, radio, and television character actor. He has also provided voices for animated cartoons....

....
Bob Holt ....
Buster Jones
Buster Jones
Edward L. "Buster" Jones is an American voice actor.He is probably best known from his roles as Black Vulcan in Super Friends, Blaster in The Transformers, Doc in G.I...

.... Black Vulcan
Stan Jones
Stan Jones (actor)
Gordon Stan Jones , sometimes credited as G. Stanley Jones, Staley Jones or Stanley Jones, was a Canadian film and television actor.-Career:...

.... Lex Luthor, Swamp Demon
Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...

.... Robin, JLA Computer
Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....

.... Scarecrow; Sinestro; Vartoo {in the episode "The Final Challenge"}
Vic Perrin
Vic Perrin
Vic Perrin was an American actor and voice artist. He is best remembered as the "Control Voice" in the original version of the TV series The Outer Limits ....

.... Sinestro
Renny Roker ....
Stanley Ross
Stanley Ralph Ross
Stanley Ralph Ross was raised in Brooklyn New York, starting his career in advertising, then soon going to work as a writer and actor on various television shows, most notably cult-classics such as the 1960s Batman series starring Adam West and also The Monkees...

.... Grodd the Gorilla; Nar-Tan {in "Doomsday"}
Dick Ryal .... Captain Cold
Michael Rye
Michael Rye
Michael Rye is a US voice actor. He is also known as Mike Rye and sometimes used his surname at birth, Rye Billsbury...

.... Green Lantern, Apache Chief
Olan Soule
Olan Soule
Olan Soule was an American character actor with hundreds of credits in films, radio, commercials, television and animation.-Early life:...

.... Batman
Jimmy Weldon
Jimmy Weldon
Jimmy Weldon is an American voice actor, ventriloquist, and former television host.He is best known as the voice of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yakky Doodle Duck and the host and ventriloquist in the locally-produced television series, "The Webster Webfoot Show".-History:Born James Weldon...

.... Solomon Grundy
Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...

.... Toyman; Mr. Mxyzptlk
Louise Williams ....
William Woodson
Bill Woodson
William "Bill" T. Woodson is a retired American voice artist. He has a small onscreen appearance in the 1950s sci-fi film "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" as a newscaster. He can be heard in the opening narrative of the 1970s television series The Odd Couple, explaining how it is that Felix and...

.... Narrator, Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....

, Admiral Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...

DVD release

Warner Home Video

Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...

released this season of Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...

on two DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

box sets, the first one being Challenge of the Super Friends: The First Season, which featured the "Challenge" segments, and the second being Super Friends: Volume Two, which featured the Super Friends segments.

Title	Type	Ep #	Release Date
Challenge of the Super Friends	The First Season	16	July 6, 2004
Super Friends	Volume 2	16	May 24, 2005

Spoofs

Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....

produced a couple of commercials spoofing Challenge of the Super Friends.

One dealt with the idiosyncratic nature of the Legion of Doom and Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....

’s odd manner of dress (Brainiac: “Look, I just want some pants...a decent pair of pants!” Solomon Grundy
Solomon Grundy (comics)
Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...

: “Solomon Grundy want pants, too!”).

The second, co-starring The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...

, dealt with Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...

’s powers (Aquaman: “My ability to talk to fish is of no use to us, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....

!”) as well as the level of violence compared to today’s cartoons, as Wonder Woman and Aquaman look away while the Powerpuff Girls beat up the Legion of Doom, going so far as to set the Scarecrow on fire. Most notably was Bubbles' double-entendre reply to Wonder Woman's compliment on how they were developing as superheroes. "Someday we'll be as developed as you." Lex Luthor, as a villain with a dirty mind, began laughing. His underlings understood the joke and laughed as well. When a piece of the Hall of Doom's ceiling fell on Luthor's head, everyone laughed.

In 2003, Cartoon Network Latin America aired the spoof series The Aquaman & Friends Action Hour that starred Aquaman as a children's television show host and the Legion of Doom as his bankrupt villains.

Legends of the Superheroes

The two NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

televised live-action specials of Legends of the Superheroes

Legends of the Superheroes

Legends of the Superheroes is an umbrella title for two one-hour and live-action Hanna–Barbera TV specials based on the Super Friends cartoon show that aired on NBC in January 1979...

produced by Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...

was based largely on Challenge of the Super Friends while featuring Adam West

Adam West

William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...

, Burt Ward

Burt Ward

Burt Ward is an American television actor and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin in the television series Batman and its theatrical film spin-off.-Early life:...

, and Frank Gorshin

Frank Gorshin

Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...

of the 1966 Batman

Batman (TV series)

Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...

television series fame (West would go on to voice Batman

Batman

in Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show

Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show

Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1984 to 1985 on ABC...

and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians

The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1985 to 1986. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.-Summary:In the fall of 1985,...

). The Justice League

Justice League

The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....

starred Batman, Robin

Robin (comics)

Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...

, Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel (DC Comics)

, Flash

Flash (comics)

, Green Lantern

Green Lantern

, Hawkman

Hawkman

, Huntress

Huntress (comics)

The Huntress is a name used by several characters in DC Comics.The Golden Age Huntress is a supervillainess, while the Bronze Age and Modern Age Huntresses are superheroines....

, and Black Canary

Black Canary

Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...

against the Legion of Doom which featured Mordru

Mordru

Mordru is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics' main shared universe.Mordru is the most prominent Lord of Chaos who is fated to survive even after the end of the universe, although he is usually shown as a powerful wizard...

leading Doctor Sivana

Doctor Sivana

Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...

, Riddler

Riddler

, Giganta

Giganta

Giganta is a fictional character, a red-haired super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. A longtime enemy of Wonder Woman and an occasional foil for The Atom, Giganta possesses the superhuman ability to increase her physical size and mass, effectively transforming into...

, Sinestro

Sinestro

Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...

, Weather Wizard

Weather Wizard

Weather Wizard is a fictional DC Comics supervillain. The Weather Wizard first appeared in Flash #110 .- Early life :...

, and Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy (comics)

Solomon Grundy is a fictional character, a zombie supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Named after the 19th century children's nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern , but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and...

(Superman, Wonder Woman, and their associate characters were absent due to the Superman film and Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman (TV series)

Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....

television series licensing the rights, respectively).

DC Super Friends

Despite using the main theme from the World's Greatest Super Friends

The World's Greatest Super Friends

The World's Greatest Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 22, 1979 to September 27, 1980 on ABC...

, the 2010 DC Super Friends "The Joker's Playhouse" shares several elements of its opening sequence with Challenge of the Super Friends including introducing the Legion of Doom.

External links

Challenge of the Super Friends @ Legions of Gotham

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First segment

Second segment

Early development

Narration, music and character designs

Team composition experimentation

Super Friends/Justice League of America

Legion of Doom

Voices

DVD release

Spoofs

Legends of the Superheroes

DC Super Friends

Featured link

External links